Melanie’s Magickal Mayhem
August 31, 2006
In lew of any animation news…
melanie @ 10:32 am

I wanted to post this quote. With crunch time happening, i have had little time to keep up on this blog. However, time will pass and I’m sure I’ll get back to it regularly after the film is over. In the meantime.. with all the rhetoric in American politics these days… i thought it would be good to post this quote; just as a little reminder what we as Americans are SUPPOSED to be represent.

“We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law.

We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were for the moment unpopular.”

And so good night, and good luck.”

~Edward R. Murrow.

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August 21, 2006
YAY for Animation Mentor Students!
melanie @ 6:15 pm

I’m really excited about the student showcase Animation Mentor just released. It really shows some of the very best work the students have done since AM started. I’m a fairly new mentor as I’ve only taught 3 sessions.. so i was pleased as punch to see 3 of my students included in the showing. GREAT JOB EVERYBODY!!!

Download it HERE.

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August 9, 2006
Dreamworks loses Zemeckis to Disney
melanie @ 12:52 pm

TMZ posted an article two days ago about Robert Zemeckis who is about to sign a deal with Disney to create his little motion capture beauties at twice the pace and half the cost that Pixar produces it’s films.

To read the article, GO HERE:

It’s quite a juicly little piece; full of typical Hollywood banter about rows with studio heads, creative differences and the promise of new things to come. And while the intrigue behind directors and executives makes me yawn and wish for my bed… i do think this is a significant event and surprised I haven’t seen more articles about it. While Monster House hasn’t done so hot with a meesly $60 million domestically… world wide, Polar Express made a respectible $297,775,955.   Not great.. but not peanuts either.  I’m not surprised that Disney wants to corner the market in animation again, but I am rather surprised…with their history and tradition of quality that they are willing to take on Motion Capture films as well.  Then again, this is the same company that’s been remarketing and rereleasing their Classics just to make an extra buck.

I don’t know, i guess because their recent deal with Pixar I was expecting more of John Lassiter but maybe I’m being harsh. Then again… the article implies that this is a way Pixar can keep on the schedules they’ve created.. thus protecting the quality and not having to output work at a quicker pace. So i take that back. John Lassiter is a GENIUS!!!!

Still, i’m not happy about more of those motion-capture movies being made. I’m not a huge fan of motion-capture as most people who know me can atest. But I’ve worked my fair share of it and i do believe there is an appropriate time and place to use it. But is it more cost effective? Both in time and money? I don’t think so. I  get steamed up when I see it promoted as being a “cheaper ” method for performance. It’s a nice pipedream but I bet those animators who worked onMonster House can atest to, it’s just adding an extra step that will require so much tweaking, they might as well start from scratch.  But hey. I’m not a producer. What do I know?

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